Health

02/14/2011

12/28/2010

I wake up craving for my cuppa but have been trying hard to abstain from caffeine as it has harmful effects on my unborn. Yes, now I am having another baby! I have dreams for it, dreams that it will become a great person, useful and contributing to the society. I have been watching my diet more rigorously since another life is growing inside of me.

I gulped my cup of honey, steaming hot this morning. I ate my Mozarella cheese and this is a common breakfast food for my family and took a few green olives stuffed with tomatoes. Biscuits are also not forgotten.

My lunch usually consists of a bowl of salad, a bowl of tomato or lentil soup, some stewed meat and carbo like rice or pasta. I avoid dessert as I might be ingesting unnecessary amounts of fats.

Dinner is more Asian with noodles or rice on the table and fish, tomatoes and green vegetables. I topped it up with glass of Perrier water and a cup of yoghurt.

I keep my health in tip top condition and my diet has always been measured, not excessive and definitely surplus oil is abstained. Salt as many know causes people to have high blood pressure which in turn leads to many other chronic diseases like kidney disease, heart disease etc. It is only used in very small quantities like a pinch of it. My concentration has been good and I stay focused on many tasks which I undertake. Deadlines are met and I do not feel a sense of defeat at all. I feel good about myself and about my ability to work despite being pregnant.

Hence, I will continue with my current diet and will not let anything stop me from pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

12/01/2010

International travelers may feel tired and forgetful for up to a month after returning to a normal schedule because jet-lag causes long term changes in the brain, a US study said Wednesday.

Similar brain disruptions could be experienced by anyone who works alternating night-day shifts or unusual schedules, said the study which is the first to look at long-term effects of such lifestyle changes on brain anatomy.

"What this says is that, whether you are a flight attendant, medical resident, or rotating shift worker, repeated disruption of circadian rhythms is likely going to have a long-term impact on your cognitive behavior and function," said Lance Kriegsfeld, associate professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley.

The researchers subjected female hamsters to six-hour changes in schedule -- similar to a New York to Paris flight -- twice a week for four weeks.

As expected, the harried hamsters had trouble learning simple tasks that other, more rested hamsters aced during the four-week period.

But more surprisingly, the learning problems persisted for a month after they settled back into a normal schedule.

Researchers say they were able to track the changes to a drop in neurons in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory.

"Compared to the hamsters in the control group, the jet-lagged hamsters had only half the number of new neurons in the hippocampus following the month long exposure to jet lag," said the study published in the journal PLOS One.

Researchers used hamsters because they have such precise circadian rhythms, driven by an internal, 24-hour clock that everyone possesses.

"They will produce eggs, or ovulate, every 96 hours to within a window of a few minutes," Kriegsfeld said.

Graduate student Erin Gibson pointed out that other studies have shown that people who experience regular jet-lag display memory loss and learning problems, "along with atrophy in the brain's temporal lobe, suggesting a possible hippocampal deficit.

The finding could have wider implications for shift workers and frequent long-distance travelers, who have already been found to suffer "decreased reaction times, higher incidences of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and cancer, and reduced fertility," the study said.

To ward off the effects, Kriegsfeld advises allowing one day of recovery for every one-hour time zone shift. Night shift workers should sleep in a dark, quiet room to adjust their bodies to their altered schedule.

11/27/2010

I am glad I am a great fan of tomatoes, Tofu and tuna... The first two foods are commonly found in Yong Tau Foo which is almost a staple for me... Maybe that is why I have managed to look youthful despite having put myself through high workload throughout my life... The other princliple we do have to practise is to have lots of beauty sleep. My mother can swear by that as she looks 20 years younger than her age right now as she has a strict bedtime at 9pm for years... Anyway, do enjoy reading the article below and try to apply it in your life:)

Strawberries:Eating more vitamin C-rich foods, such as strawberries, may help to ward off wrinkles and age-related dryness, suggests research from 2007 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vitamin C’s skin-smoothing effects may be due to its ability to mop up free radicals produced from ultraviolet rays and also its role in collagen synthesis. (Vitamin C is essential for collagen production.) You can find vitamin C in a multitude of cosmetics—of which some have been shown to be effective in protecting skin—but why not go straight to the source for a tasty boost of C: red bell peppers, papaya, broccoli and oranges are other excellent sources.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes get their red hue from lycopene, a carotenoid that may help to keep your skin smooth. In a study published in 2008 in the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, researchers found that of the 20 individuals studied, those who had higher skin concentrations of lycopene had smoother skin. Boost your lycopene intake with fresh summer produce like watermelon and carrots too.

Tofu: Tofu and other soyfoods, such as edamame and soymilk, may help to preserve skin-firming collagen because they are rich in isoflavones. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, mice fed isoflavones and exposed to ultraviolet radiation had fewer wrinkles and smoother skin than mice that were exposed to UV light but didn’t get isoflavones. The researchers believe that isoflavones help prevent collagen breakdown.

Tuna: Eating tuna—and other omega-3-rich fish, such as salmon, sardines and trout—may help keep your skin looking youthful thanks to the omega-3 fat EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). EPA has been shown to preserve collagen.

09/08/2010

There are temptations everywhere. There are restaurants everywhere offering a wide variety of food and now with the globalisation, you can practically find cuisine from any country easily. Mexican food with its fiery hot selection, Italian with its sticky goo-ey cheesy range, Indian famous for its bryani and curry, Turkish and Arab for their rolling kebabs and yoghurt-rich food and the list goes on... People are getting more health conscious partly because of the increased education on healthful food and improved knowledge on the link between food consumption, exercise capacity and diseases. I am just going to share with you some tips on eating out.. these are easy to follow and help you watch your waistline:)

1) Be selective and try to go for non-fried food

2) Choose plain rather than fried, oily or bryani rice

3) Eat lean meats and remove skin as much as possible

4) Include more vegetable and meat dishes

5) Choose clear rather than thickened soups

6) Reduce intake of gravies, sauces and dressings

7) Have fresh fruits for desserts instead of those containing coconut milk

8) Eat in moderation, we are always tempted to over-order as we may want to treat our friends but keep in mind to order small or adequate portions:)

08/14/2010

Software Engineer Karen Liew’s mother suffered from osteoporosis three years ago and she is worried that, with her current sedentary lifestyle, she might be at risk of contracting the disease as well.

Karen’s mother, Mdm Yam was diagnosed with osteoporosis and scoliosis in 2006 and is currently taking medication and regular private Tai Chi lessons on a weekly basis. Prior to taking up Tai Chi lessons, Mdm Yam had been taking calcium tablets for 2 years as prescribed by the doctor. Instead of showing signs of improvements, her bone mass density has shown to decline over the years. Her doctor feedback that the body does not absorb the calcium as intended and thus recommended that she should engage with regular exercise in conjunction with the medication.

Yip See Kit, senior coach from NewAgeTaichi which is also the personal trainer for Mdm Yam comments “Tai Chi exercise is considered as a safe and alternate complementary therapy for prevention of osteoporosis because of its weight bearing nature. Together with the focus on balance and fall prevention in the Tai Chi training program, it has greatly improved her condition.”

Coach Yip also conducted regular record of Mdm Yam’s body composition measurement using Tanita InnerScan Body Composition Monitor before and after each Tai Chi lessons to monitor her bone mass and muscle mass. It was observed that she has been able to maintain her bone mass and that her BMR – basal metabolic rate also shows an increase after each Tai Chi lesson, which is one of the psychological benefits of exercise.

Jane Tan, senior coach of NewAgeTaichi with a Dip in sports & exercise science, stressed that the body need both exercise and vitamin D (readily obtained from sunlight) to effectively absorb the calcium into the body, otherwise the excess calcium will just pass out from the body as waste.

Since osteoporosis usually strikes women after menopause, a common belief is that it’s an older women’s disease. However, a recent study conducted in Britain by the University of Surrey and the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro in 2008 showed that 20 per cent of women aged 20 to 29 had low bone mass, which could lead to early onset of osteoporosis.

It would be a good idea for women to start engaging in weight bearing exercises (rebounding, running, jumping, jogging, Tai Chi, resistance training) as bone mass loss begins at around age 30, which will potentially lead to the disease and causing painful fragility fractures. Dr Lau Tang Ching, president of the Osteoporosis Society (Singapore), said that a person’s bone mass usually starts declining by about 1 per cent a year after that age, and that a sedentary lifestyle together with poor dietary habits, which is often the result of living in a busy, modern world like Singapore, can multiple the risk of osteoporosis. In such cases, bone mass deterioration can occur at a rate of 2 or 3 per cent a year, he added. That, combined with unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking means young people are at higher risk of developing this disease in the near future.

Dr Bernard Thong, head and senior consultant of the Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology Department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital stressed that prevention is easier than cure when it comes to osteoporosis. And that specifically means reducing alcohol intake and smoking, increasing aerobic exercise and improving dietary calcium and vitamin D intake, said Dr Thong.

According to Ministry of Health clinical-practice guidelines released in January 2009, the incidence of hip fracture in Singapore has increased 1.5times in men and five times in women since 1960s. One in five dies within a year after sustaining a hip fracture. About 800 to 900 hip fractures occur every year in Singapore because of osteoporosis.

“Fragility fractures of the hip and spine can lead to significant pain and immobility, and affect daily activities, especially among able-bodied working adults,” said Dr Thong.

“We are currently conducting Tai Chi for Osteoporosis classes, which is a special program catered for osteoporosis patients to educate and guide how to exercise safely and effectively. We have been getting very well responses from the participants and the class does not only restrict to people with osteoporosis and is also suitable to people with all ages,” added Coach Jane.

04/19/2010

Positive psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology first introduced by Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Professor of Psychology at the Drucker School of Management. Both felt that the field of psychology was missing something. Traditionally, the practice had focused on two things: describing mental illnesses and finding ways to treat them.

Seligman and Csikszentmihalya believed that psychologists also needed to study what makes people happy and why some people are able to achieve happiness while others cannot. In the January 2000 issue of the journal American Psychologist, they proposed that the field of positive psychology be established to study the “knowledge of what makes life worth living.”

Since positive psychology’s founding, hundreds of practitioners have chosen to work in the field. Using an evidence-based scientific approach, these professionals learn more about happiness by studying groups of people as opposed to lab rats.

This has led "positive" psychologists everywhere from suburban America, where high levels of dissatisfaction are found, to Africa, where Masai warriors, who own little more than huts, clothing, and the weapons they hunt with, have one of the highest “happiness quotients” in the world.

Three primary barriers to happiness have been identified by positive psychology researchers: destination addiction, the hedonic treadmill, and cynicism.

First described by Dr. Robert Holden, founder of the United Kingdom’s Happiness Project, destination addiction is a focus on what one wants tomorrow versus what one has now. It can contribute to feelings of depression and frustration when people don’t achieve their objective, which is often material wealth. Holden describes the condition as “living in the not now' and likens it to eating a banana to get to its end instead of enjoying it while eating.

Closely related to destination addiction is the hedonic treadmill. This is permanent dissatisfaction with acquiring material goods. As individuals earn more money, they look at their current standard of living and always believe they can do better. Their expectations are constantly on the increase and when they reach the next level they only want more.

Cynicism is a general attitude of negativity marked by a distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others. It perpetuates negative thinking, which has detrimental psychological and physical effects.

Cynicism contributes to a state of chronic mental unhealthiness. The negative thinking generated by it also damages neurons and may actually kill them, according to researchers at Stanford University, impairing vital functions of the brain including memory and problem-solving.

Three Behaviors that Lead to Happiness: Altruism, Gratitude and Playfulness

Altruism, gratitude, and playfulness are three behaviors that have been identified by positive psychologists as contributing to long-term happiness.

According to the book The Psychology of Happiness, altruism has decided evolutionary advantages because cooperating for the benefit of others benefits one’s own well-being. Early man realized the advantage of working together because it increased the supply of food and helped defend against enemies. Altruism also promoted the development of other kinds of positive social behaviors including communication and sharing.

Today altruism is often expressed in volunteering, generosity, and “random acts of kindness.” While most people no longer work to increase the food supply or fight external threats, altruism still has many benefits.

In a study by researcher Allen Luks, a majority of those who helped others reported a kind of “helper’s high.” Helper’s high is a feeling of exhilaration and a burst of energy very much like the ones generated by exercise.

Helpful behaviors seem to stimulate the brain’s positive emotion centers and trigger the release of endorphins (“feel-good” hormones). According to nationally known psychotherapist Arlene Uhl, scientists working with MRI brain scans have shown that regions of the brain associated with positive emotions are extremely active when men and women experience compassion and empathy.

Gratitude has also been found to make people happier. A number of research groups have focused on what happens when people pause to think about what they are truly thankful for. Nearly all have found a positive correlation between gratitude and happiness.

In one study, participants were asked to keep a gratitude journal. In the evening before going to bed they wrote down three things that made them feel good that day and had to write or recite a phrase that expressed gratitude for those things.

The results of the “Three Good Things” experiment showed that expressions of gratitude increase happiness and decrease symptoms of depression. Sixty percent of participants said they still ended the day the same way six months after the study’s conclusion.

Finally, playfulness is a behavior that can increase long-term happiness. According to Time magazine, research shows that a high level of participation in fun leisure activities is a major contributor to life satisfaction.

It’s not hard to see why playfulness has such an influence on happiness. Active pastimes such as riding jet-skis and playing touch football are major energizers and mood enhancers that, like altruism, activate the positive emotion centers of the brain.

Even though modern society often makes people feel like they’re moving “a mile a minute,” Time also reports that Americans actually have more leisure time now than forty years ago. Unfortunately, most of it is spent on passive activities like watching television, which have a much smaller effect on well-being than activities requiring energy and exertion.

While altruism, gratitude, and playfulness are key contributors to long-term happiness, they’re just the three behaviors that have been studied most extensively. Rewarding work, parenting, exercise, friendship and other behaviors increase happiness as well.